Bark-removing machine having simultaneously swingable frames supporting cutters and log-rotating wheel



Dec. 28, 1954 L B. HILBORN 2,698,036

BARK-REMOVING MACHINE HAVING SIMULTANEOUSLY SWINGABLE FRAMES SUPPORTING CUTTERS AND LOG-ROTATING WHEEL Filed April 3, 1952 4 Sheefcs-Sheet l INVENTOR BY 5c W ATTORNEYS 2,698,036 NE HAVING SIMULTANEOUSLY SWINGABLE G CUTTERS AND LOG- 1954 B. HILBORN BARK-REMOVING MACHI FRAMES SUPPORTIN ROTATING WHEEL Filed April 3, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY5 Dec. 28, 1954 L B. HILBORN BARK-REMOVING MACHINE HAVING SIMULTANEOUSLY SWINGABLE FRAMES SUPPORTING CUTTERS AND LOG-ROTATING WHEEL 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 3. 1952 INVENTOR L60 5-15 1150? n ATTORNEY5 United States Patent :BARKLREMOVING H'AVIN G SI1VIULTA- vNEOUSIJY SW INGABILE FRAMES SUPPORTING CUTTERS AND EQG ROTKTING' WVHEEL Lee B.- Hilborn, 'Bay City, .Mich.

Application. April; 3,1952, Serial No. 280,330

7' Claims. '(Cl..1'4'4 208) This invention relates to bark peeling machines.

'An'object of'this invention is to provideamachinefor cleaning the bark or'loose'fibrous material from logs whereby the wood fibers of thejlog will not be damaged.

Another objectof this invention is toprovide. a machine of this kind wherein the cleaning operation 'is..effected by rotary cutters which are carried by swinging. levers, with the-levers spring-pressed" toward the log so thatthe levers 'mayadjust themselves to any uneven .surfaces'on the log. A further object of this invention is to .provide.a machine of this kind which Will clean logs of different diameters.

A further object of this invention is toprovide anim- 'proved=bark cutting and removing means which Will thor- {)ug'h'ly clean the bark or other excess material from the With the-above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combinationand det'ails'of construction disclosed in the drawings-and specification, and then more particularly v.pointed" out in the appended claims.

.IIn'the drawings:

"Figurel is' a detailed end elevation partly broken-away of 'a'bark peeling machine constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view takenon the'zline 2-4201? Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional .view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure '2.

Figure '4' is a fragmentary side elevation of .the :log rotating means.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation showingthe log supporting means.

Figure 6' is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line66 of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 77 of. Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan viewpartly .in section of one of the bark peeling cutters and support therefor.

Figure 9 is a fragmentarylongitudinal section of one of 'the finishing cutters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral -.15 designates generally a basef-rame structure which is'formed of upright. supports 16 and 1'7 connected together by longitudinalsupports'ld and 19, respectively,.and also connected together by end members Z'O.

Ar 1og=L .is adapted tobe rotatably disposed lengthwise of theframe I5 and is rotatably mountedon theperiphery of a plurality of log supporting wheels'21 and 22. The wheels 21 and 22 are rotatably carried by transverse supporting bars 23', which i are yieldably secured to. longitudinal channel:members-24fixed-between.theaend members 20. The bars'23 have secured thereto upwardly extending boltsa25i (see Figures 5 and 7) which extend through-the longitudinal bars .24, and. .a..sp1:ing..26 engages \aboutthe boitl25 and'bearsat its. lower endiagainstithe longitudinal bar 24 and at its upper end against a nut or collar 27, disposed on the 'bolt 2'5z' "Elie spring" mounting of the wheel. carrying bars 23 providesa means whereby the wheel's ll and 22 may have relativemovement due to the uneven surface of the logL.

The bark or surface material on the log L is adapted to be removed therefrom by means of a series of rotatable bark cutter members generally designated as 28. Each cutter 28 is formed of a pair of oppositely extending truncated pyramidal members 29 (see Figure 8) which may be formed integral with each other, and a V-shaped 2,698,036 Patented Dec. 28, 1954 groove 30 is disposed betweeneachpair of members 29.

Blades 31are secured by fastening means 32 to the outer surfaces of the members. and are adapted, upon rotation of the cutter members, to contact with the bark or surfacematerial on the log L. Each cutter member 28 is rotatably carried by a U-shapedmember 33 having a shank 34 extending therefrom. The shank 34 is slid'ably mounted in a tubular member 35 and is spring-pressed outwardly by means of a spring 36.

The tubular member 35 is formed with .a pairofelongated slots 37, and a pin. 38 extends through the shank 34 and engages in the slots 37. The tubular member 35 forms, with a pair of outwardly extending angle members 39, a lever means for rockably supporting the cutter v28.

The angle members 39 have bearings 40 through which a shaft 41 rockably engages.

A pulley 42 is fixed to the shaft 41 between the pair of angle members 39, and a belt 43 engages about the pulley 42 and also'engages in the groove 3! of the cutter member 28. The levers or cuttercarriers formed by the tubular members 35 and the anglemembers 39 are spring-pressed at'their outer ends, so as to yieldably hold the cutters 28 against the surface of the log, by means of springs 44, each of which is secured at one end to an outer end of one of the angle members 39 and is also secured at its opposite end to a corresponding arm 45 of a bellcrank 46.

The bellcrank 46 is fixed to a longitudinal shaft 47. rock- 'ably carried by bearings 48a extendin from the uprights 16. Thebellcrank 46is adapted. to be rocked so as .to tension spring 44 by means of anelongatedbar. or link 48 which has one end connected at 90 to the arm 49a of bellcrank 46 andis connected at the other end to a spring tensioning lever 49. The lever 49 is rockably'mounted, as at St onone of the uprights 17.

A plurality of finishing cutters, generally designated as 51, are rotatably carried by rock levers 52, which are similar in every detail to the rock levers formed by the tubular members 35 and the angle members 39. As shown in Figures 2 and 9, the finishing cutters 51 are formed of a cylindrical body 53 having a V-shaped groove 54, and a plurality of angularly disposed cutter blades 55 are secured tothe bodies 53.

A shaft 56 is journalled lengthwise of frame 15,. and a pulley '57 is mounted on the shaft56 between angle members 58 comprising the rear portion of each of the levers 52. A belt 59' engages about the pulley 57 and als'oengages in the groove 54. The finishing cutters 51 are spring-pressed to a long engaging position by means of springs60, which are secured at their upper ends to the angle members 58 and are secured at their lower'endsto bellcranks 61.

The bellcranks 61 are mounted on a shaft 61a which has an arm 61b connected with link 48, as indicated :at 62, so that tensioning of springs 44, by movement of lever 49, will also affect tensioning of springs 60.

The finishing cutters 51 are staggered withre'spect to cutters 28 so that the peeling or cleaning operation will be such as to clean any ridges or the like whichmay be caused by the spacing between the main cutters 28.

The shaft 41 has a pulley '63 mounted on one end thereof about which a twisted belt '64 engages, and the belt 64 also engages about a driving pulley 65 mounted on a power shaft 66. The shaft 66 is rotated bymeans of a power member 67. Shaft 56has a pulley 68 secured on one end thereof about which a belt- 69 engages, and the belt 69 also engages about a pulley 70 fixed'to shaft 66.

The log L is adapted to be rolled into thelframe structure and onto the Wheels 21 and 22 over a ramp or log guiding means 71, which is securedto upwardly projecting supporting posts 72 which extend upwardly fromthe uprights or posts 16. A log rolling .wheel 73 .is fixed to a shaft 74 journalled in a spring-pressed frame 75. The frame 75, as shown in Figure 4, is formed of parallel angle bars 76 connected together by connecting bars 77 ,and frame is dependinglyand movably carriedby arock frame 7 8.

The rock frame 78 is rockably mounted on a shaft 79 journalled in the upper portions of the supporting members 72, and the frame 75 is connected with the frame 78 by means of pairs of upwardly projecting rods 80, which are fixed at their lower ends to the frame 75 and slidably engage through the frame 78. A spring 81 is disposed about each rod 80 and constantly urges the rods 80 downwardly so that the frame 75 will be under spring tension in order that this frame may have relative upward movement by reason of the irregular contour of the log L.

The wheel 73 is provided with a plurality of teeth or pointed pins 82 which are adapted to bite into the outer surface of the log. The wheel 73 has fixed relative thereto a pulley 83 about which a belt 84 engages, and the belt 84 also engages about a pulley 85 which is fixed on the shaft 79. Shaft 79 is rotated by means of a pulley 85 connected by a belt 84' to a pulley 86 (see Figure 2) which is fixed on the shaft 41.

The frame 78 includes a tubular member 87 through which the shaft 79 rotatably engages and a lever arm 88 is fixed to one end of the tubular member 87 and projects upwardly and laterally. An elongated link 89 is pivotally secured at one end to the arm 88 and is also pivotally secured, as at 90, to the connection between the link 48 and the side 49a of bellcrank 46. An idler wheel 91 is rotatably carried by the frame 75, being mounted in a fork 92, and the fork 92 has an upwardly projecting shank 93 slidably engaging through the frame 75 An inverted U-shaped member 94 is secured between the angle members 76, the shank 93 slidably engaging through the bight of U-shaped member 94, and a spring 95 constantly urges the shank 93 downwardly so that fvheel 91 will be spring-pressed against the surfaces of the A second frame 75a, similar to and spaced from the frame 75, is dependingly carried by the rock frame 78, and a pair of idler pressure rollers or Wheels 96 and 97 are rotatably supported from the frame 75a, being springpressed downwardly after the manner of roller or wheel 91.

After the log has been peeled of bark or other excess surface material, the log is adapted to be ejected or moved to the left, as shown in Figure l, by means of one or more elongated ejecting bars 98 which are slidably mounted on shafts 99 on which the wheels 22 are mounted. The bars 98 are formed with elongated slots 100 through which the shafts 99 loosely engage. The lower ends of the ejecting bars 98 are connected with arms or levers 101 by pivot means 102, and arms 101 are fixed to a shaft 103 rockably mounted in the uprights 17.

An elongated lever 104 is fixed to one end of shaft 103 and includes a pedal 105 which may be engaged by a foot so as to depress the projecting end of lever 104. Before the lever 104 is to be depressed, spring tensioning lever 49 is rocked to the right, as viewed in Figure 1, so as to permit the cutter carrying levers to drop downwardly to disengaged position with respect to the log L. Also when lever 49 is rocked to the right, frame 78 will be raised and log L may then be moved to the left and rolled over the ramp or guide means 71.

In the use and operation of this machine, the log L, with the bark or surface material thereon, is rolled over the guide 71 onto the idler wheels 21 and 22. At the time the log L is rolled into the machine, lever 49 will be swung to the right to raise frame 78 so that log L will freely roll onto the wheels 21 and 22. When log L is on wheels 21 and 22, lever 49 is swung to the left, thereby lowering frame 78 so that log rotating wheel 73 will contact with the surface of the log. At the same time that frame 78 is lowered, springs 44 and 60 will be tensioned, thereby raising the cutter carrying levers. Rotation of the cutter members 28 and 51 will remove the bark and excess material from the surface of the log and when the excess material is removed, frame 78 may be raised and cutters 28 and 51 dropped downwardly or depressed 7 by rocking of lever 49 to the right. When log rotating wheel 73, with idler wheels 91, 96 and 97, is elevated above the log, lever 104 may be depressed so that ejecting bars 98 may push the log L upwardly and to the left so that the log may be moved onto the ramp or guide means 71.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

4 What is claimed is: 1. A bark peeling machine comprising a frame, a pair of horizontally disposed shafts rotatably carried by said frame, means rotating said shafts, means supporting a log between said shafts, means rotating a log on said supporting means, a plurality of levers rockably carried by said shafts, said levers extending inwardly and downwardly from said shafts, a cutter rotatably carried by the inner end of each lever, means connected between said cutters and said shafts for rotating said cutters, and means for rocking said levers to operative position.

1 2. A bark peeling machine comprising a frame, a pair of horizontally disposed shafts rotatably carried by said frame, means rotating said shafts, means supporting a log between said shafts, means rotating a log on said supporting means, a plurality of levers rockably carried by said shafts, said levers extending inwardly and downwardly from said shafts, a cutter rotatably carried by the inner end of each lever, means connected between said cuttersl and said shafts for rotating said cutters, means for rock-1;

ing said levers to operative position, and means for eject ing a log from said supporting means.

3. A bark peeling machine comprising a frame, a swingable frame carried by said first named frame, means rotatably supporting a log in said first named frame, means carried by said swingable frame for rotating the log, a plurality of rotary cutters disposed lengthwise beneath the log, swingable supporting levers for said cutters, means rotating said cutters, and means rocking said levers to dispose said cutters in operative position.

4. A bark peeling machine comprising a base frame, a swingable frame carried by said base frame, a log rotating means, means yieldably securing said log rotating means to said swingable frame, a plurality of rotary cutters disposed lengthwise beneath the log, swingable supporting levers for said cutters, means rotating said cutters, and means rocking said levers to dispose said cutters in operative position.

5. A bark peeling machine comprising a frame, means rotatably supporting a log in said frame, means for rotating the log, a plurality of rotary cutters disposed lengthwise beneath the log, swingable supporting levers for said cutters, means rotating said cutters, means rocking said levers to dispose said cutters in operative position, and means connected between said log rotating means and said lever rocking means to move said log rotating means to operative or inoperative position simultaneously with rocking of said levers to dispose said cutters in operative or inoperative position.

6. A bark peeling machine comprising a base frame, a swingable frame carried by said base frame, a log rotating means, means yieldably securing said log rotating means to said swingable frame, a plurality of rock levers carried by said frame, a cutter rotatably carried by each lever, means rotating said cutters, means for rocking said levers to operative or inoperative position, and means for ejecting the log from said supporting means.

7. A bark peeling machine comprising a base frame, a swingable frame carried by said base frame, a log rotating means, means yieldably securing said log rotating means to said swingable frame, a plurality of rock levers carried by said frame, a cutter rotatably carried by each lever, means rotating said cutters, said cutters including two series of cutters, one series of cutters being finishing cutters, means for rocking said levers to operative or inoperative position, and means for ejecting the log from said supporting means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

